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South Carolina-Kentucky Preview

Oct 14, 2010 - 4:15 PM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Senior Writer

South Carolina (4-1) at Kentucky (3-3), 6:00 p.m. EDT

After engineering the biggest win in school history, Steve Spurrier knows he has to help South Carolina maintain its focus with a pair of road games against underwhelming competition on tap.

The coach himself may have a hard time believing the 10th-ranked Gamecocks' next opponent can spring an upset.

Spurrier's teams have never lost in 17 games against Kentucky, but he'll have to make sure South Carolina isn't poised for a letdown Saturday in Lexington coming off an exhilarating victory over the defending national champions.

The Gamecocks (4-1, 2-1 SEC) felt they let a win slip away Sept. 25 at then-No. 17 Auburn, committing four turnovers and blowing a six-point fourth-quarter lead in a 35-27 loss.

A week off seemed to do wonders.

Much-maligned quarterback Stephen Garcia went 17 for 20 for 201 yards and three touchdowns, while freshman tailback Marcus Lattimore ran for two scores and caught another in South Carolina's 35-21 stunner against Alabama last Saturday. It was the program's first win over a top-ranked team.

"That is the best our offense has played ever since I've been here, without a doubt," said Spurrier, in his sixth year at South Carolina.

The Gamecocks have never played in an SEC championship game but suddenly find themselves leading a watered-down East division. For a coach whose team represented the East in seven SEC title tilts while at Florida, Spurrier sees an excellent opportunity.

"If there's a year for us to win the East, it's when the East is down a little bit," he said.

"We know one big win doesn't make a season. ... If we can go on from here and become a real solid team, maybe we can look back and say this is a big one."

Visits to Kentucky (3-3, 0-3) and sub-.500 Vanderbilt are next, and while neither foe has impressed thus far, the Gamecocks typically have trouble when they leave Columbia. South Carolina has lost six consecutive conference road games since its last visit to Lexington - a 24-17 win Oct. 11, 2008.

The Wildcats may be the one team the Gamecocks feel comfortable facing regardless of location. Three Garcia-to-Alshon Jeffrey touchdowns in last season's 28-26 victory in Columbia extended South Carolina's winning streak over Kentucky to 10.

Spurrier's personal 17-0 record against the Wildcats includes 12 wins during his years in Gainesville.

That streak started before the 19-year-old Lattimore was born, not that he expects it - or his team's big win last week - to matter at all Saturday.

"They probably think that we are going to be sitting high because we beat Alabama, but that is not going to be the case," said Lattimore, the nation's third-leading rusher (459 yards) among true freshmen. "We are going to be ready for them."

Lattimore leads the SEC in carries per game (21.4) and should get plenty Saturday against a Kentucky run defense ranked 97th nationally, yielding 190.3 yards per contest.

Like South Carolina a week ago, the Wildcats are coming off a tough loss to Auburn. Kentucky twice trailed by 17 last Saturday in Lexington but rallied to pull even before a field goal as time expired gave the Tigers a 37-34 win.

It was the Wildcats' ninth conference loss since 2008 that came by a touchdown or less.

"I think this team definitely has confidence, and they (feel they) can play with anybody in this league," first-year coach Joker Phillips said.

While the Gamecocks' struggles in recent years have come on the road, most of Kentucky's recent woes have come at home. The Wildcats have lost seven consecutive SEC games at Commonwealth Stadium.

"Just because things go wrong or things aren't going the way we expect them or wanted to, doesn't mean we can give up," said receiver Randall Cobb, who has 10 touchdowns - three passing out of the wildcat formation. "... We've just got to find a way to win."

That could be far more difficult if Derrick Locke can't play Saturday. The senior, who has four 100-yard rushing games and seven touchdowns, is doubtful with stingers in both shoulders.

Sophomore Donald Russell will get the start if Locke can't go.